Parents Get 75 Months In Faith Healing Death of Infant

In Calckamas County, Oregon yesterday, a trial court judge sentenced Dale and Shannon Hickman to 75 months in prison in the death of their infant son, David, who was born prematurely and lived less than 9 hours.  The couple also received 3 years' probation. As reported by the Oregonian and Courthouse News Service yesterday, the Hickmans' who are members of the Followers of Christ Church, failed to seek medical assistance for their infant and instead merely prayed for him and anointed him with olive oil in compliance with their church's teachings.  The Hickmans are the fourth Followers of Christ couple to stand trial in the last 3 years for failing to seek medical care for their children. The sentence was the minimum mandatory sentence under the state's sentencing guidelines. The judge refused to invoke a now-repealed religious exception that could have allowed him to impose less than the mandatory minimum imprisonment, saying the case did not qualify for the  exemption. The Hickman's attorney had sought merely probation, saying that the couple had already taken their two remaining children to a pediatrician, and would comply with court orders regarding medical care for them.